This weekend, Notre Dame and head coach Marcus Freeman will face USC in the 96th meeting of their storied rivalry. The matchup on Saturday is a ranked showdown between the No. 15 Fighting Irish and the No. 21 Trojans, but the future of this historic game is now under threat.
After USC unceremoniously removed the 2026 game against the Fighting Irish from their schedule, Saturday’s contest could be one of the final clashes between the two programs for the foreseeable future. The decision has left fans wondering if one of college football’s greatest traditions is ending.
Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman Shares Honest Take On USC Game
Speaking on the “Dan Patrick Show” ahead of Saturday’s game, Notre Dame’s head coach revealed his stance on the rivalry’s future. For Freeman and the Fighting Irish, a loss on Saturday could potentially knock them out of playoff contention, adding even more weight to the game.
“Look, there are decisions that institutions make based on the conference. Scheduling and things like that,” Freeman revealed. “I know that’s playing into some of the discussions that USC is having with our administration. The higher-ups, I’m sure, are going back and forth on little details.”
In 2022, both USC and UCLA stunned the college football world when they announced they would leave the Pac-12 Conference after a century to join the Big Ten. In its first season as a Big Ten team, USC finished with a 4-5 conference record, a sign of the increased scheduling difficulty.
“There are so many teams in our league that obviously, we don’t play everybody,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley explained following the season. “Your schedule is going to change. It’s going to take a couple of years to cycle through actually playing everybody.”
USC has removed the 2026 Notre Dame game from its official website. Left is live, right is from the Web Archive. pic.twitter.com/ry9Bm0jVya
— FBSchedules.com (@FBSchedules) October 16, 2025
Navigating a conference with top teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, plus rapidly improving programs like the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers, could affect USC’s willingness to maintain the long-standing rivalry.
“It’s tougher to throw in another great opponent when you’re in the Big Ten and you know you can’t have three losses and be in the playoffs,” Dan Patrick noted, before questioning the Notre Dame head coach. “It feels like USC means more to Notre Dame than Notre Dame means to USC.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what we mean to them. But I know it means a lot to us,” Freeman responded. “The rivalry, the quality of the opponent, and the respect for the program. It does mean a lot to this university, and this program, and we want to see it continue.”
This potentially could be the final clash between the two teams for some time, and the stage could not be bigger. As both teams fight for their playoff lives, Freeman explained to the media on Monday that he wants this rivalry game to be a battle of wills.
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“This game’s going to be about velocity,” Freeman declared. “I often say, ‘We got to get bloody.’ It’s got to be that type of mindset. This has got to be a physical, bloody game. That’s not about how we can outsmart them. This is going to be how we outphysical this group.”
Saturday’s game is also the closest thing to a College Football Playoff elimination game this early in the season. According to PFN’s playoff meter, Notre Dame currently has a 14% chance of reaching the playoffs, while USC sits at a 22% chance. The loser will face a nearly impossible path forward.
